7 comments on “NEW FOR WEDNESDAY: OC Results Announced”

Steve – you are on point! OC needs to embrace Ocean Downs (Rickman) and the approval of question 7 – as a WIN WIN for everyone. YES, buses need to run to Ocean Downs from hotels….and I think that may just happen without City Hall approval. Of course, cost would be borne by the hotel – but it remains a WIN WIN for all involved. Small steps at first – but I’m sure long term again is a WIN WIN. Harnessracing buddy – HEY our MD industry may be able to start its turn around IF and only IF MD does this correctly. Gambling is entertainment – not some slum lord, drug invested, potty minded industry. As long as MD HISTORY does not repeat itself – OC can prosper long term. Not to mention a new City Hall with 21st Century thinking now in place. Halls? Worry bout your restaurant – period END OF STORY!

Now maybe the Town can get back to running a business again. Visitors ask the bus drivers all Summer long how to get to the Casino at Ocean Downs. Well, you can’t really as there is no public transportation to get there. Everyone seems content with whatever trickles into the coffers of OC but that doesn’t grow and, is in fact, getting less. The State already takes 10% of the areas revenue but now, with the lowering of Casino taxes by 27% under Question 7, the area will get even less. I think the Town should treat Ocean Downs as an additional tourist draw and implement public transportation to it. Put together packages like there are with Golf that make the Town and the Casino partners in tourism.

The Town can never expect to be able to think outside the box as long as its primary employment qualification is a GED and be related to an existing employee. It’s difficult to talk about who should pay for additional transportation as long as the Town continues to provide it for free for far too many people who can afford it. It’s more important to package transportation to the audience that you want to serve. It can’t be so cheap that the local street people can afford to panhandle at the Casino. There needs only to be a shuttle between the Park and Ride lot and the casino. In nearly 10 years of driving a bus, I have never met anyone from the Council and few even from Transportation itself. They don’t ride the bus. They don’t experience what our visitors do.